How to Fight Counter-Revolution

Published:First published inPravdaNo. 84, June 30 (17), 1917.

      Published according to thePravdatext.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1977,

      Moscow,Volume 25,

      pages97-98.Translated:Transcription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive.  

      2002You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work, as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Onlya few days ago, Minister Tsereteli declared in his
      “historic” speech that there was no
      counter-revolution. Today the ministerialRabochaya
      Gazetastrikes an entirely different note in the article
      “Dangerous Symptoms”.

“Thereare clear indications that a counter-revolution
      is afoot.”

Thanksfor finally admitting the fact at least.

Butthe ministerial organ goes on to say: "We do not know
      where it [the counter-revolution] has its headquarters, nor to
      what extent it is organised.”

Isthat so? You don’t know where the counter-revolution has its
      headquarters! Permit us to help you out of your ignorance. The
      counter-revolution which is afoot has its head quarters in the
      Provisional Government, in the very same coalition Ministry in
      which you gentlemen have six of your colleagues! The
      counter-revolution has its headquarters within the walls of the
      conference hall of the Fourth Duma, where Milyukov, Rodzyanko,
      Shulgin, Guchkov, A. Shingaryov, Manuilov and Co. rule, for the
      Cadets in the coalition Ministry are the right hand of Milyukov
      and Co. The staff of the counter-revolution is recruited from
      among the reactionary generals. It includes certain retired
      high-ranking officers.

Ifyou want to do more than merely complain about the
      counter-revolution, if you want to fight it, you must join us in
      saying: Down with the ten capitalist Ministers!

RabochayaGazetalater points out that the
      counter-revolution’s chief instrument is the press, which is
      fomenting
      anti-semitism, inciting the masses against the Jews. That is
      correct. But what is the conclusion? You are a ministerialparty, gentlemen, aren’t you? What have you done to curb the
      infamous counter-revolutionary press? Do you think you can,
      while calling yourselves “revolutionary democrats”,
      refuse to take revolutionary measures against the unbridled,
      blatantly counter-revolutionary press? And then, why don’t you
      start a government organ that would publish advertisements and
      deprive the infamous counter-revolutionary press of its chief
      source of income and hence of its main chance to deceive the
      people? What evidence is there, indeed, that thou sands upon
      thousands of people must now be kept away from productive labour
      in order to publishNovoye
      Vremya,Malenkaya
	Gazeta,[1]Russkaya
	Volya[2]and other reptiles?

Whathave you done to fight the counter-revolutionary press
      which is doing all it can to bait our Party? Nothing! You
      yourselves have supplied material for that baiting. You have
      been busy fighting the danger on the Left.

Youare reaping what you have sown, gentlemen.

Soit was, so it will be—as long as you continue to
      vacillate between the bourgeoisie and the revolutionary
      proletariat.

[1]MalenkayaGazeta(The Little Newspaper)—a yellow reactionary
newspaper published in Petrograd from September 1914 to July
1917 by A. A. Suvorin, Jr. From May 1917 on, it appeared under
the subtitle of “An Extra-Party Socialist Newspaper”, speculating
on the people’s sympathy for socialism. After the February
bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1917 it opposed the Bolshevik
Party and conducted a vicious slander campaign against Lenin.

[2]RusskayaVolya(Russia’s Will)—a bourgeois daily newspaper
founded by A. D. Protopopov, the tsarist Minister of the Interior,
and financed by the big banks. It was published in Petrograd from
December 1916. After the February revolution it carried on a smear
campaign against the Bolsheviks. It was closed down by the
Military Revolutionary Committee on October 25 (November 7), 1917.